NATCHITOCHES – A patient Northwestern State softball team chipped and pecked at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a Friday doubleheader sweep at Lady Demon Diamond.

NSU (21-19, 11-6 Southland Conference) didn't have one decisive deathblow against the Islanders, but the steady Lady Demons took advantage of opportunities in wins of 3-1 and 7-2.

Saturday's series finale has been moved up to 11 a.m. as NSU attempts to sweep the Islanders (7-34, 3-14 SLC).

"We really needed that today because our offense struggled a little bit, and we've got to get better in the finale," Pickett said of complete games thrown by junior Samantha Guile and sophomore E.C. Delafield. "Throwing complete games was big for us so (TAMU-CC) couldn't see our other two arms.

"Sammie and E.C. did a great job, and our defense did a great job. The Islanders hit the ball hard a few times, and we were able to make plays. We put up enough runs to win."

NSU stretched its winning streak to three games after getting a 7-4 win at Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. The Lady Demons are 14-2 at home and 8-0 in SLC play.

NSU 3, TAMU-CC 1

Starter Samantha Guile (8-8) recorded her fifth win in her last six appearances Friday as she held the Islanders at bay.

Guile allowed one unearned run on four hits and two walks as she continued her hot streak.

NSU scratched a second-inning run across when Elise Vincent singled with the bases loaded. The single scored Riley Cantrell, who singled followed by a Maggie Black walk and a Nikki Skerlong hit-by-pitch.

But Islanders starter Kandace Johnson (6-10) steeled herself, inducing Cayla Jones into a double play to end the threat. NSU stranded five runners in the game.

Guile faced the minimum in the first three innings as Vincent turned a double play to erase a hit-by-pitch and Islanders runner Keagan Helson was caught stealing after walking to reach base.

TAMU-CC tied the game in the fourth inning when Emilee Baker scored on a throwing error. Baker, who went 2-for-3, doubled with one out.

NSU, who recorded just five hits off Johnson, manufactured a pair of runs in the sixth inning to seal the victory.

After Alexis Perry singled and E.C. Delafield walked to start the sixth, Cantrell sacrifice bunted the two into scoring position.

Maggie Black hit a sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Kayla Roquemore before an errant throw from centerfield brought Delafield home.

Delafield slid past the tag of Johnson at home plate after catcher Whitney Wendel gathered the throw from centerfield and flipped the ball to Johnson.
 
NSU 7, TAMU-CC 2

E.C. Delafield helped herself in the circle and at the plate as the Lady Demons completed the sweep Friday.

NSU scored runs in each of the first four innings, and Delafield scattered six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

"I just knew my defense had my back today, and the pitches were working well," Delafield said. "It was a really good day defensively."

"I was trying to see the ball, stay comfortable in the box and slow the game down. I knew I had to do the job for my team, and I just wanted to help myself on the mound as well."

Delafield drew one of four walks and five free passes as the Lady Demons scored two first-inning runs to chase Islanders starter Alexis Ruel (1-14).

After three free passes loaded the bases, Alexis Perry hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Cayla Jones for a 1-0 edge. NSU added the second run on a Riley Cantrell bases-loaded walk (scoring Hayley Barbazon) as reliever Alexis Tovar threw the final two pitches of the plate appearance.

But NSU couldn't make anything else of the potentially big inning as TAMU-CC walked eight batters and hit one more in the second game.

"I thought we wasted too many at-bats and popped up in counts where we had leverage," Pickett said. "We've got to take advantage of more of that, but we started squaring the ball up more as the day went along.

"I think we have more in our tank, and I want us to come out in this next game and play our best game.

The Lady Demons pecked across a run in each of the next innings on a Kaitlyn St. Clair RBI single and a Delafield solo home run.

Delafield (2-for-2, 2 RBIs and 2 walks) has three home runs in her fourth multi-RBI game this season.

NSU pieced together its best inning of the day with a three-run fourth inning for a 7-2 lead.

Barbazon (two runs scored) contributed an RBI double followed by RBI doubles from Perry (two RBIs) and Delafield.

Four of NSU's seven hits went for extra bases.

One of TAMU-CC's three doubles scored its only runs when pinch hitter Skye Koehl drove in a pair to slice NSU's edge to 4-2 before the Lady Demons' big inning.

The Islanders got their leadoff batter on base in each of the next two innings, but Delafield and the Lady Demons stranded a total of six runners to hold off the visitors.

Samantha Burke (2-for-3) doubled to start the sixth inning, but Delafield struck out the next three batters.

Delafield tied a career high with seven strikeouts.